IRAQ HOST NEPAL IN AN INTERNATIONAL FRIENDLY MATCH

Pic Credit: The Gurkha Times

Chatara, A 35-member Nepali football team left for Iraq on Tuesday on a chartered flight to play a friendly match. Nepal is playing against a strong Asian side Iraq in an international friendly match at Basra International Stadium, Iraq. The match will be played tonight at 10:15 PM NST.

Nepal and Iraq both are preparing themselves for their respective matches in AFC Asian Cup and FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. Nepal will face Chinese Taipei on 3^rd June before playing against Jordan four days later. Nepal will finish the campaign with a match against Australia on 11^th June. Nepal, who lost four matches and won one in the first round, are at the fourth position with three points from five games, while Australia are at the top with 12 points from four matches. Kuwait and Jordan have 10 points each, whereas Chinese Taipei are yet to open their accounts.

After the friendly match, the Nepali team will travel to Kuwait to play the three second round games of the World Cup and Asian Cup qualifiers. The matches were shifted to the neutralized venue in Kuwait City because of travel restrictions in various countries due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Head coach Abdullah Almuitari has picked up a many new faces for the International friendly and qualifiers.

Nepali Team:

Kiran Kumar Limbu (GK), Deep Karki (GK), Bishal Sunar (GK), Ananta Tamang, Gautam Shrestha, Suman Aryal, Abhishek Rijal, Bishal Rai, Sunil Bal, Aashish Lama, Pujan Uparkoti, Arik Bista, Suman Lama, Anjan Bista, Manish Dangi, Santosh Tamang, Nawayug Shrestha, Ayush Ghalan, Suraj Jeu Thakuri, Kamal Thapa, Rohit Chand, Dinesh Rajbanshi, Bikash Khawas